In yet another disturbing incident targeting members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh, a 28-year-old auto-rickshaw driver, identified as Samir Das, was allegedly beaten to death in Daganbhuiyan in the Chittagong region, according to reports.

Das, who worked as a battery-auto driver, was reportedly attacked on Sunday by unidentified assailants who brutally assaulted him and stabbed him multiple times. After the murder, the attackers fled the spot with his vehicle.

This killing comes amid a surge in attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, deepening fears within the community ahead of the national elections scheduled for February.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a prominent rights organisation, expressed serious concern over the incident, saying that communal violence against minorities is rising at an alarming pace. The organisation said the repeated incidents of attacks, looting and intimidation have created a climate of fear among minority groups.

India has also reacted strongly to the increasing reports of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recently stated that New Delhi is closely monitoring developments and expects the Bangladeshi authorities to act decisively.

India also criticised what it described as attempts to downplay attacks on Hindu minorities by terming them personal disputes or local rivalries, warning that such narratives embolden extremist elements.

Bangladesh’s interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, however, has rejected accusations that violence is being exaggerated, saying the scale of attacks is being overstated.